National Republican., 1887-09-23
yirp,nia,s .Di,latory Progress.

EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN: pOV.
Henry A. Wise was not the only Virginia
Democrat that rebuked the prominent lead
ers Of his party for lack Of energy to de-
velope the immense resources OF the state.
In his famous and, probably, the best
speech he ever made, he said one cause Of
the state's tardy progress was the prevail
ing disposition to attend to the federal affairs
instead Of attending to home interests.
Here's an extract which is to the point and
truthful:
You have been too much In the habit Of dis
cussiDg federal poltics, and permit me TO- say
to you very honestly and very openly that,
next to whisky, next to card playing. next to
horse racing, the thing that has done Virginia
history has been her Unsuitable appetite for
federal politics [Cheers.l She has given her
great men to the Union-her Washington, her
galaxy OF great men to the Union. When and
where have her sons been to work devoting
their best energies to her service? Instead OF at
too much in the habit Of attending. to the
affairs OF Washington city when there. are
plenty there, God knows, to attend to them
themselves. [Applause
The present condition Of our agriculture re-
minds me Of story heard. will not locate
| 1t here or there. was told by n gentleman
| from Washington, not long ago, that he was
| travelling In county not hundred miles from
| this place. and he overlook one OF our farmers
| on horseback with bag OF hay for saddle,
Bride. and he said to this farmer Stranger,
whose house is thatv' at Is mine" was the
reply. They came to another. Whose house
| "And whose house is that7" "That is mine,
| too. stranger: but don't want YOU to suppose
that am SO d-n poor as to own oil the land in
| this part OF Virginia!'
| Gov. Wise was not the only man who
held prominent position In the Demo.
cratic ranks to expose the incompetency Of
the leaders Of the party to manage affairs
| Of the commonwealth.
Hear what the ilustrious aud ultra DEM
ocrat, John Randolph, had to say about the
''slow coach" manner of doing business
during his day and generation. In letter
10, 1859, he says:
Although am not 100 miles from Richmond,
II is an affair OF ten days and wagon OF five or
six horses 10 get anything from thence, and 1t
tobacco that 1t Is seldom can procure any
thing but the ordinary necessaries OF life. Some
few merchants import goods on their own ac-
count, but they are chiefly the staple articles
OF salt, iron, blankets, German linens, ali OF
excellent quality, which we poor planters are
compelled to buy. In every point OF view
Richmond may be regarded as a place of de.
York. York 'A' "a'eD'''''. '''l''' -'''s VI N'"
The new states are far better supplied With
means of transportation, with mail roads and
postoflces than the old southern states OF
Virginia. the Carolinas, and Georgia. 1t is all
one to our planters whether tley get the news.
papers this week or the next, and living as
they do apart from each other, without con
cert or combination they have fallen prey
to the superior activity and intelligence ION
such subects) of the manufacturing popula.
tion of the north and east. But In proportion
as they are slow to act will be the energy OF
their resistance TO manufacturing cupidlty
and oppression. Yours, j. X. OF X.
This is remarkable letter, and like all Of
| In md In
consistent. He berates the Richmond bust
ness men for lack Of enterprise, They did
not import from England enough fine
| goods and luXures to suit his wants and
taste, the very thing that would have
ruined Richmond merchant at that time.
He also warned the planter and trader
against manufacturing cupidity and op.
preston. Instead of opposing manufac
turing he Should have recommended It,
He should have pointed to the immense
water power Of the James; Its falls opposite
Richmond and for miles extending up the
river, sufficient to drive furnaces and fac
tories to supply the world with wrought
fabrics, which traffic would have made
Richmond, and to great extent, the state
rich, populous, and happy.
The theory OF Mr. Randolph and his Demo
cratic followers was to rely on agricultural
resources exclusively and exchange the
same for British goods. lie was bitterly
opposed to tariff In America, yet favored
patronlzing the government whose tariff
laws were almost equivalent to prohibition
against receiving the products OF othe
nations. But this has ever been the Demo
cratic doctrine In Virginia and the south
In the system OF protection give ths foreign
manufacturer the preference 10 home In
dustry. This explains how Virginia ha
been "dwarfed In the Union" so sarcasticall,
described by Gov. Wise in his masterl.
speech at Alexandria. ID. 4.